About CDPOM pet sitting

Why does CDPOM’s pet sitting & dog walking stand out?

The simple answers are Quality & Reputation! Unlike many individual pet sitters and visitors, Cats, Dogs & Peace of Mind carers and dog walkers are all professionally trained, and security vetted for the purposes of pet sitting and dog walking. With us you will never be told we can’t help because we are ill or on holiday. Our services are available 365 days of the year – without fail!

We have been looking after pets in their homes and walking dogs while their owners are away or too busy since 1999. In all that time we have learned to solve just about every problem that can occur when taking on the responsibility of looking after animals.

An interview with founder & director Louise Wilsher

What services do you offer?

Since I founded the business and started pet sitting on 19 November 1999, we have offered pet sitting and dog walking services. We cater for all pets, including special-needs cats, all breeds of dogs, fish, reptiles and amphibians, horses, birds, caged pets (rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, hens etc.), exotic pets (peacocks, spiders etc.)

Our services include daily pet sitting and visiting, overnight pet sitting, dog walking and training. We carry out little extras that mean a lot – like alternating lights and curtains. We can also provide a certain amount of dog day care and overnight boarding in our customers’ own homes. Our Otto & Alice Mobile Grooming Studio is able to provide professional and specialist cat grooming, dog grooming and micro-chipping for all types of pet.

And the team has extensive experience of pet sitting and caring for other small furry animals. We are able to help with behaviour modification, house sitting, pet transportation, mail and newspaper collection.

Plus through our Celebrate Dogs and Celebrate Cats brands we regularly review, assess and advise on training courses for dogs and cats, and speciality pet products including toys, food, food dispensers and water fountains and other products.

You offer dog walking, how long are your walks with the dogs normally?

When we visit your homes to walk your dogs we guarantee that your dogs have between 40 minutes and one hour walks throughout the day.

We also promise to walk only one owner’s dogs at a time, unless otherwise requested. For example, some of our customers like their dogs to be socialised with other dogs and if this is the case we ensure that they are walked with compatible dogs, whose company they enjoy.

Some of our clients are also keen for our own dogs, like my chocolate Labrador Otto (see picture at the top), to join their dogs when they are out walking. Otto and the other dogs owned by our carers are always happy to oblige.

How many dogs do you take on your walks or look after in their own homes?

On walks, our carers each tend to walk between one and a maximum of three dogs each at a time. When we look after people’s dogs in their own homes we have catered for up to six dogs from the same household while their owner was away – when this is the case more than one CDPOM carer is in attendance.

How do your dog walking & pet sitting services work?

As well as daily dog walks, we can look after all manner of pets in our customers’ own homes.

In tune: Louise reads the rhythm of the pets she cares for

Each of the carers that work with Cats, Dogs & Peace of Mind (CDPOM for short!) walks a maximum of three dogs at a time for a minimum of 40 minutes (not including the time spent with the dogs on either side of the walk).

Only one owner’s dogs are walked at a time unless otherwise requested. Where a signed declaration is provided by the owner we like to let dogs off their leads. We have balls and toys to enhance a dog’s enjoyment.

As well as visiting your home and your pets while you’re away or simply too busy CDPOM also offers a London-wide, live-in house and pet-sitting service.

When our carers house sit they watch over your dogs, cats or other pets and your home, property and possessions. The presence of one of our security-vetted, fully insured carers living in your home ensures enhanced security.

We offer three tiers and tariffs for pet sitting.

1) Daycare, which covers eight hours during daytime where the carer stays in the customer’s home and looks after and exercises the pet/pets.

2) Overnight stays, which cover a minimum 24-hour period where the carer stays in the customer’s home and looks after the pet/pets and home as the customer would if he/she/they were working – i.e. the carer will be away for no more than eight hours (but no more than four hours at any one time) in any 24-hour period.

3) House-sitting 24-hour stays, which again cover a minimum 24-hour period but this time where the carer will be away for no more than two hours in any 24-hour period.

This means there is no need to put your pets in kennels or catteries, as your home and your animals are safe and secure in our hands. We can also water your plants. We have many from numerous delighted clients that confirm the quality of our work.

What are your opening hours?

We have a 24-hour booking and answering service to take bookings for pet sitting and dog walking.

You look after cats & other pets in their own homes. What is the benefit of this?

Cats are territorial, and the advice from experts like the Cats Protection League is that unless your cat is used to travelling, it’s not a good idea to take him or her on holiday.

Cats the thing: Tillena is one of CDPOM’s oldest custoimers

Indeed, according to the League and other experts, cats are always happiest in familiar surroundings. So making arrangements for a pet sitting carer from Cats, Dogs & Peace of Mind to look after your cat in his or her own home while you’re away is not only a sound choice – it’s what your cat would prefer!

And a big bonus of leaving your much-loved pets in their own homes, to be looked after by CDPOM’s thorough, professional loving carers, is that it’s so simple, and takes the guilt out of going away and leaving your pets behind.

To see what customers say about our pet sitting and dog walking and how their cats like being looked after in their own homes – rather than being taken to catteries – please have a look at our testimonials.

Are your services good for dealing with separation anxiety?

Dogs are social creatures and being left at home alone can make them depressed, anxious or even destructive.

Where possible our carers like to take the dogs where they can run free, play and socialise with other dogs. They are experts on London’s parks and open spaces.

Carers have toys with them and are always happy to use any equipment provided by customers.

Handfuls of fun: Margot and Denzel are growing up

How many pets do you have yourself and what are they?

All of CDPOM’s carers are animal lovers. They are led by me with my two Black Labradors Margot and Denzel (b. 2010 – see below left). Dallas, a Chocolate Labrador, who we took over when her owner moved abroad, and a British Blue Shorthair, Tillena (b.2006- see above right – who I also inherited from a former customer)

Eva Chesswas has a cat called Flower and a dog, Buddy, a yellow Labrador.

Andrew Templeton in West London does not currently have any pets at home but loves, and is much loved by all the animals he cares for at CDPOM.

There is a whole range of other pets owned and cared for by our ever growing team of carers, including dogs, cats, and snakes.

Reviews

CDPOM/ Celebrate Pets are a great bunch of people. They have been looking after our cat for just about every period away from home for the last five years, from single days to a couple of weeks. They are really great with him and no extra seems too large for them from watering the plants to putting the bins out. We always get a text from them so that we know visits have started and comprehensive reports on what he's been like when we're away. Cannot recommend highly enough, completely reliable and they love our cat. What more could you want?

As a customer for over 7 years and a regular traveller, I have been delighted with the service provided in looking after my home and pets. Easy and simple booking and payment process, prompt responses, and never a problem to arrange care for my cats even at very short notice. I have complete confidence in leaving my home and pets in their hands. They keep me updated while I'm away and even put a pint of milk in the fridge if I'm away for more than a few days.

We are so pleased we found CDPOM as our cat, Lucy, was so distressed in the cattery.
We have been using their services for several years now and have always found them extremely reliable and we are always confident that Lucy is in safe hands. From their reports, she seems to enjoy their visits and always looks well and happy when we return home.
In addition, they always ensure that the house is left secure and how we left it. We would highly recommend them.

Louise and all the team at CDPOM have been amazing. I have used them for many years to look after my dog and the team obviously love the animals. They have helped me out at short notice and also kept Molly for longer when I've been delayed. Louise also house sits which give me peace of mind that someone is around when I'm away and less stressful on Molly. Thanks again and cant recommend highly enough.

So reliable, I would highly recommend Louise and her Cat visiting service. Going away can be quite stressful with cats, as they don't like the disruption of being moved elsewhere, or having strangers in the house. After trying a few things, I realised home visits is really the best way. It was hard to find a reliable service at first, after a few issues in the past, so CDPOM was a godsend. Louise has been looking after my cats for over 10 years, and she has removed the stress out of travelling, as I know my cat will be in good hands with her. Thanks Louise!